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Ivory Coast excludes Thiam and key rivals from October presidential ballot

The electoral commission refused to revise the 8.7 million–name register, leaving key rivals blocked despite their legal challenges

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Partisans of PDCI (Democratic Party of Cote d'Ivoire) protest against the Ivorian justice decision to remove their leader Tidjane Thiam from the electoral list, at their headquarters in Abidjan, Ivory Coast April 24, 2025. REUTERS/Luc Gnago/File Photo
Tidjane Thiam, president of the PDCI (Democratic Party of Cote d'Ivoire), Ivory Coast's main opposition leader and former Credit Suisse Chief Executive, poses after an interview with Reuters in Paris, France, April 23, 2025. REUTERS/Stephanie Lecocq/File Photo
Ivorian opposition leader Tidjane Thiam is among four leading opposition figures excluded from the final electoral register ahead of October presidential elections

Overview

  • The final candidate list published on June 4 omits PDCI leader Tidjane Thiam alongside former president Laurent Gbagbo, exiled ex-prime minister Guillaume Soro and Charles Blé Goudé.
  • Thiam’s removal follows an April court ruling that questioned his Ivorian nationality at the time he registered to vote.
  • Gbagbo and Soro remain barred over past convictions related to the civil war, and no reinstatements were granted.
  • Tidjane Thiam has filed a complaint with the United Nations Human Rights Committee seeking to compel the state to guarantee an inclusive and democratic election.
  • President Alassane Ouattara has not declared whether he will seek a fourth term while his RHDP party plans to select its nominee on June 21–22.